]]>https://edtechideas.com/2016/02/19/google-slides-primer/feed/0Keith5 Reasons to Teach Kids to Codehttps://edtechideas.com/2016/01/13/5-reasons-to-teach-kids-to-code-2/
https://edtechideas.com/2016/01/13/5-reasons-to-teach-kids-to-code-2/#respondWed, 13 Jan 2016 02:13:08 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=4212]]>Here’s a great infographic from Kodable, which is an app I love to use when teaching Kindergarteners the basics of computer programming.

]]>https://edtechideas.com/2016/01/13/5-reasons-to-teach-kids-to-code-2/feed/0Keith5 Reasons to Teach Kids to CodeBook Creator with Five-Year-Oldshttps://edtechideas.com/2015/10/30/book-creator-with-five-year-olds/
https://edtechideas.com/2015/10/30/book-creator-with-five-year-olds/#respondFri, 30 Oct 2015 09:06:58 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=4207]]>Introducing Book Creator to Kindergartners is quite exciting. Any time the camera app is used, kids go nuts. An introductory lesson covers the following:

Create a new book

Add a photo by using the camera (students got into pairs, swapped iPads, and photographed each other)

Add text (student name)

Change font

Change color of font

Change size of font

Change color of cover

Many KG classes will utilizing Book Creator to serve as a digital portfolio, replacing the traditional mountainous folders.

Earth Day is a day of observance/action celebrated each year on April 22 and has been going on and gaining momentum since its inception in 1970. The United Nations observes Earth Day every year on the March Equinox, which often falls (as it does this year) on March 20th. Earth Day, whenever celebrated is usually a time to reflect on the state of the environment and what steps can we take, as humans, to clean up the mess we have created.

Earth Day, in my mind is flawed. It’s like Valentine’s Day. Why spend one day doing what you should be doing every day? Don’t get me wrong, I understand that it’s to bring awareness and stimulate social change, but I think that we, as educators should be living by example and teaching our students things that they can be doing every day to save the earth. Kids understand the 3 R’s (reduce, recycle, reuse). They’ve been told to go out and plant a tree, but we never really teach them important simple things that they, and their parents, can (and should) be doing in their every day lives at home.

What You Can Do to Save the Earth During the Other 364 Days

Re-evaluate what your needs and wants are. We live in a society where everything is at our finger tips. It’s easy to accumulate and spend and continue the circle of consumerism which is shockingly harmful on our environment. We need to not try to live in comparison to someone else… to have the newest and latest… to have the biggest… Start living in your means and possibly below your means. It will allow you to live free and not be tied down by your possessions. With this in mind, here is a simple list of simple things you can do to make every day Earth Day.

Miscellaneous

Cut your hair at home (spouses and children)

Use good ol’ water for cleaning the floors, counters and surfaces instead of purchasing chemical-filled cleaners. Tip: add lemon or orange peels and white vinegar to your water

Plan your trip with your car so that you can get all your errands done in a certain part of town.

Tell people you love hand-me-downs. Clothes, toys, dishes you can get it all by just asking people for their old stuff. You help them unload and you get what you want.

Reuse vacuum bags, empty them out and reuse them.

Use refillable water bottles.

Rinse dishes in a large bowl. With water that is left-over, water the garden and potted plants in the house.

Kitchen

Keep refrigerator door closed (open it with something in mind… don’t keep it open and ponder what it is you want to eat).

Run the dishwasher only when full.

Wash Ziploc bags and re-use them.

Make enough dinner so you have lunch(es) the following day(s).

Turn off all appliances that have lights, numbers, or timers on them. It drains electricity. Including the TV. You can unplug at night and have it on during the day if that works better for you. Alternatively, put all your electronic equipment on surge protectors and just flip the switch on that instead of unplugging them.

Use water that is just sitting in your sink (in cups, glasses, pots and pans) to water plants.

Bedroom

Wash sheets once a month.

Use your clothes more than once before washing them (unless they are stinky and noticeably dirty of course).

Living Room

Use fans in summer (and turn them off when you leave the room) instead of using AC.

Turn thermostat up.

Close curtains to keep the heat out.

Sweater up in the winters. Turn thermostat down and let in the natural sun light to warm things up.

Incredibly enough, candles increase the temp. in your home.

Turn off your computers and printers when they are not in use.

Turn off everything in a room that you aren’t using or when you leave the room.

Student Check-List

Eco-Sites for Kids & Teachers

Eco Kids

Eeko World

Rufus’ Home

Recycle City

Earth911

The Daily Green

Kids Saving Energy

The Green Guide for Kids

Earth Matters

Annika Dahlgren-Ferrell is a Health, Nutrition and PE teacher from California who is passionate about the environment. Growing up in two cultures (Sweden and the US) she has seen her share of both environmental negligence and responsibility.

]]>https://edtechideas.com/2015/04/21/beyond-earth-day/feed/0KeithannikaAttribution: "Atlas, it's time for your bath" http://www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/440672445ecokidseekoworldrufusrecyclecityearth911Daily-Greenkidssavingenergygreenguideearthmatters7 Earth Day Sites You Didn’t Know Abouthttps://edtechideas.com/2015/04/21/7-earth-day-sites-you-didnt-know-about/
https://edtechideas.com/2015/04/21/7-earth-day-sites-you-didnt-know-about/#commentsTue, 21 Apr 2015 03:47:26 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=3746]]>April 22 is Earth Day and in recognition of this, I’m highlighting several of the greatest Earth Day sites for kids and teachers. According to the United States Census Bureau, Earth’s population recently surpassed 7 billion. Teaching awareness of our environment to children has never been more important. Here are 6 great sites to assist.

Eco Kids has a lot of eco-awareness games and activities to help kids gain a better understanding of environmental issues in fun way. There is a homework helpsection with information on a variety of earth science related fields, a contestsection, and a place where kids can become EcoReporters. The Teacher Section(free registration) has lesson plans, activities, class kits, ESOL Lessons, and many other environmental-related resources.

Aside from an annoying Gilbert Gottfried sounding monkey as a mascot (kids love it), Eeko World is a fun site for kids to learn more about things they can do to take care of our world. Eeko (which stands for Environmental Education for Kids Online) features an engaging interactive environment which invites kids to explore, experiment, and collaborate as they learn about conservation and the environment. There is a parent and teacher section that explains how to use the site, as well as how to integrate Eeko World into literacy activities.

The aim of Earth Mattersis to, “Assist classroom educators and schools in teaching a sustainable foods and earth systems curriculum for 4th and 5th graders and inspiring students of all ages to live more aware and sustainable lives.” To do this, Earth Matters presents in-depth, standards-based curriculum, news feeds, some informational videos, along with a few games, and ideas to become environmentally active. There are a couple of sections that are still under construction and I’m wondering if the site is currently being maintained, as the copyright date is 2006. However, the information and activities that are available, make the site a worthwhile visit.

The National Audubon Society’s education section has fun activities for kidswhere they can play games, watch videos of wildlife and see live webcams of nesting birds. There is also an adoption center where classes can learn about endangered animals, and how they can help. In the educator section, there are links to activities, lesson plans, and tips on how to bring nature into your classroom.

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, EEK is a very kid-friendly site with links to information on all kinds of animals(would be a great resource for animal research), environmental issues, and a section devoted to cool things to do and read about. The Teacher Page has activities, resources, event calendar, and a news section that will help teachers keep their students informed about environmental issues.

]]>https://edtechideas.com/2015/04/21/7-earth-day-sites-you-didnt-know-about/feed/1Keitheco_kidseeko_worldearth_mattersRecycle CityaudubonEEKBest App for Making Your Pictures Truly Talkhttps://edtechideas.com/2015/04/07/best-app-for-making-your-pictures-truly-talk/
https://edtechideas.com/2015/04/07/best-app-for-making-your-pictures-truly-talk/#respondTue, 07 Apr 2015 02:28:34 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=4197]]>They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, now with Yakit Kids, students can actually make their pictures speak. One of my favorite apps to help students bring any photo to life is called Yakit Kids. It’s free, has an easy to use interface, and kids absolutely love it! Students bring in any photo (either one they take, or any other royalty-free image) add a mouth, eyes, and other desired props from the app, and then record their voice. The mouth moves with their voice, and the pitch can be adjusted from low to high. The one drawback (which is not always a drawback) is that recordings are limited to 15 seconds, but being that you can save the videos to the camera roll, it is easy to combine multiple videos in iMovie.

Description from the App Store:

YAKiT Kids allows kids of all ages to let their creativity loose and share their creations with family and friends in a safe environment. Parents and teachers never have to worry as their children let their little imaginations run wild with YAKiT Kids.

• Make quick and fun animated videos with multiple scenes.
• Change the pitch of the voice to make it even funnier.
• Add expressive animated stickers to customize the photos – including facial features, props, characters, and special effects.
• Save the videos directly to your phone to send anywhere

Below are two examples from my third graders who are using Yakit to have geometric shapes explain their own characteristics :

]]>https://edtechideas.com/2015/04/07/best-app-for-making-your-pictures-truly-talk/feed/0KeithyakitThird Grade Invention Conventionhttps://edtechideas.com/2014/12/18/third-grade-invention-convention/
https://edtechideas.com/2014/12/18/third-grade-invention-convention/#respondThu, 18 Dec 2014 06:43:35 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=4192]]>Third graders recently took part in our annual Third Grade Invention Convention where they created, shared, and explained their awesome inventions. Take a look below for some of the highlights!
]]>https://edtechideas.com/2014/12/18/third-grade-invention-convention/feed/0KeithHour of Codehttps://edtechideas.com/2014/12/12/hour-of-code/
https://edtechideas.com/2014/12/12/hour-of-code/#respondFri, 12 Dec 2014 04:28:40 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=4190]]>I wanted to make a short video not only highlighting our students participating in the Hour of Code, but also explaining what coding is, and why it is important. Below is the culmination of that project:

Here’s a short tutorial I created to help you and your students out. Enjoy!

]]>https://edtechideas.com/2014/11/11/the-best-app-to-create-timelines-with-video-tutorial/feed/1KeithGreen Screen Video Creation with Third Gradershttps://edtechideas.com/2014/11/07/green-screen-video-creation-with-third-graders/
https://edtechideas.com/2014/11/07/green-screen-video-creation-with-third-graders/#commentsFri, 07 Nov 2014 02:47:27 +0000http://edtechideas.com/?p=4175]]>For the November, 2014 Grade 3 UN Day Assembly, students wanted to create a news broadcast to go beyond the typical UN Day celebration of dressing up in traditional costumes and eating food. They wanted a way to show the work of the UN and teach others how and why the United Nations was formed.
After researching and writing the script, students used the app Do Ink Green Screen to film each other “on location” in a variety of places around the world, showing UN work in action.